Top Futures Picks to Win 2024 March Madness

It’s March. It’s Madness. It’s March Madness! Trailing only the Super Bowl, March Madness is the second-biggest betting event in the US, and 2024’s tournament is here. The first four are playing as I write this, and Thursday brings the first round of tournament play. Looking to get in on some tournament futures? I’ve got you covered with a countdown: three favorites, two sleepers, and one (absolutely insane) longshot.

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Three Favorites

Let’s ease into it and test the waters with a few perennial March Madness juggernauts. These aren’t the only favorites, of course, but they’re among the top selections of a bracket-builder. Best odds available are listed next to the team.

Purdue

Purdue had a rough one-point loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, but the Boilermakers are poised to bring the heat in March Madness. The school is the No. 1 seed in the Midwest region, and its record shows that it earned it this year.

The Boilermakers sailed to a 29-4 record, going completely undefeated at home (16-0). Purdue’s conference record was 17-3. Grambling or Montana State will take on Purdue in Round 1 (determined by the first four play-in games). A win would send Purdue to the second round to face the winner of the 8-9 seed matchup (Utah State vs. TCU).

The Boilermakers have had a fierce season; it could be the Big Ten’s time to shine. At odds of +700 at FanDuel, they’re a solid value to win this year.

UConn

UConn is FanDuel’s outright betting favorite. The Huskies brought it all home last year as a 4-seed, taking down San Diego State in a blowout championship victory.

This year, UConn is the No. 1 seed in the East, facing Stetson in Round 1. With a 31-3 record overall, 16-0 at home, and 18-2 in the Big East, the UConn Huskies have the bite to back up their bark.

North Carolina

UNC led the Atlantic Coast Conference this year with a 27-7 overall record and a 14-1 performance at home. They’re a one-seed, but FanDuel puts them behind the other top regional teams in terms of odds.

Perhaps that’s due to the strength of the West region this year, with Arizona, Baylor, and Alabama to contend with, not to mention some sleeper seeds like No. 8 Mississippi State. Despite the challenge, there’s solid value in betting the Tar Heels to take it home this year.

North Carolinians have reason to celebrate either way; sports betting went live in the state just in time for the tournament.

More: North Carolina Sports Betting | Best North Carolina Sportsbook Promos

Two Sleepers

Now we head to the realm of the “maybe” and “possibly” with two slightly lower-seeded teams who might surprise us in March Madness 2024.

Gonzaga

After a shaky early season that might’ve kept the Gonzaga Bulldogs from the tournament, they rallied and won eight games in a row. This year, Gonzaga enters the tournament as a 5-seed. It’s their lowest since 2016, when the Bulldogs were seeded at 11. They’ll take on McNeese in Round 1, then face off with the winner of Kansas vs. Samford if they take home the first-round victory.

New Mexico

This one teeters between sleeper and longshot, but I’ll leave it here anyway. The Lobos eked into contention with a 26-9 record. They enter March Madness as an 11-seed, and they’ll play Clemson in Round 1. The West has a lot of strong competition, but the Lobos have a strong squad capable of making a run under the right circumstances.

One Longshot

Longwood

Longwood? More like Longshot, am I right? Yes, I am, because this is an outrageous pick. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible; it’s called March Madness for a reason! The Longwood Lancers took home the Big South Conference championship last week.

In Game 1, they defeated Winthrop 69-56. An overtime nailbiter ended with a low point for High Point; the Lancers beat ’em by one point to advance (Final: 80-79). The Lancers then met UNC Asheville, a team also coming off an overtime victory to make the finals. Longwood absolutely demolished UNC Asheville, 85-59.

March Madness is a different beast, though, and Longwood’s future odds are still quite a stretch. At the time of publishing, DraftKings has the Lancers at +500000. It’s the longshot of all longshots, especially considering the Lancers face 1-seed Houston in the first round. It’s not the smartest bet, but hey, Cinderella had her happily ever after. Maybe the Lancers could, too.

READ MORE:

• Duke March Madness Odds: Blue Devils Futures & Betting Lines
• North Carolina March Madness Odds: Tar Heels Futures & Betting Lines
• 2024 March Madness Schedule: Best Live Odds for Men’s College Basketball First Round